Monday, July 12, 2010

It was an experiment I began in October of 2007 when FX picked up my show. If I had a gripe, a revelation, some info about the show, I shared it with my seven readers. I've been keeping current with SutterInk blog for almost three years. Since then, my readers grew in numbers and so did the scope of my subject matter. In that time, I've never apologized or rarely even questioned the content of my posts.

Until recently.

Since September of 2009, I've found that I've had to qualify, defend, explain and even edit many of my entries. As I stated in my last post, I feel like perhaps my outspokenness is biting back. So what the fuck happened?

A few things.

Sons of Anarchy became a hit. The show grew in notoriety and therefore everyone associated with it became more newsworthy. And with the popularity of Lost's, team Darlton, the role of the showrunner moved out front. Writers were becoming celebrities. I admit, I embraced that love. Suddenly, the attention I so desperately craved was at my fingertips -- literally.

Truth is, the bulk of my blogging is about my process as an artist and intel about the show. The angry rants, although they get more attention, are not the core of my online sharing. When I look at my recent posts, the ones I've had to qualify (Zito, the Emmy's, how the rags are spinning me), all of them were perfect examples of how I blog. Pretty much an unedited, instantaneous, stream of consciousness. This is my experience, this is my truth, this is how I feel. So if these posts were no different than the others, why did they bite me in the ass? Why did I double back and question their validity? In other words, why did they make me feel so bad?

What I've realized over the past few days of obsessive reflection is this -- I'm not on the outside looking in. I'm not a professional blogger, journalist or critic observing the process from an objective distance.I'm inside it, I'm part of it, I am wholly subjective.

Everything I say about television or Hollywood or an actor or a show or a network is connected to my relationships in that arena. So it doesn't matter if the LA Times or TV Guide or THZ puts a spin on a post. If I'm commenting about showbiz, it's not from Kurt, the man, it's from Sutter, the writer/producer. I have to own those words and every direction they may fly. I have no right to judge others for their "interpretation". If I have free speech, everyone has free speech.

The reason I am feeling undone about some of my posts lately is because the blowback is effecting more than me.

I've had strong reactions to perceived slights against Sons of Anarchy. The problem is that because I am now a public person, my opinions of those incidents are not independent of the show. When I speak out about anything to do with SOA, I am speaking as its showrunner. Therefore I expose everyone associated with my show to the fallout of my re/actions. It's never, Kurt Sutter Calls TV Academy Lazy Sheep. It's Sons of Anarchy CreatorCalls TV Academy Lazy Sheep.

Not that anyone is going to hold a personal grudge against my cast or crew because they're pissed off at me, but they can hurt them indirectly by taking it out on the show. For example, their are a few critics out there whom I've lambasted because of their scathing reviews. I'm not saying that every review deserves to be positive, but since my retaliation, one critic in particular has gone out of her way to humiliate members of my cast in her reviews. I'm pretty certain if I hadn't antagonized that relationship, the critiques would be a bit less personal.

But, I ain't gonna stop blogging. I need it.

I look at my desk and see a Macbook, a shotgun and a bible. I've got very few friends and so much shit I've gotta work out. My words are my give and my take. This blog is selfish expression as well as a cosmic contribution. I need my virtual family to share that process. The key for me is to distance my strong opinions (rants) from the specific work in progress. For now, that would be Sons. I can go off about Zucker and NBC because the only one who gets hurt there is me. But if I piss off the TV Academy with a a thinly-veiled fuck you, there's a possibility I hurt my show (and everyone involved)'s chances for recognition.

Note to self:

If I fire the shotgun, I better be ready to take some retaliatory buckshot in the ass. I just need to make sure that I'm the only ass in the line of fire.

Thanks for reading.

I don't know you, that's why I like you.

And if I do know you and I don't like you... that's not gonna change --

So, go fuck yourself and the small-minded, parasitic whores you rode in on.

Oh, I lifted the title from some spam I received yesterday. Somehow, it just seemed right...

I think the sad thing is, that most the time it seems as though they dont take the time to read everything you write or provide reader with a source to check it out for themselves and they run with the shit that IS going to piss people off. It causes conflict and gets them more hits. I, selfishly, hope you continue writing the blog. I like the insight I get from a perspective I would not have normally.

I understand how you feel. The world has become so inundated with the spin doctors trying to garner their own ratings. I've become so bored by the whole thing that I rarely watch TV anymore. There are very few shows I find worthy of my time. SOA is at the top of the list.

I live on a farm and there is a lot to do. For me to take the time there has to be an amount of realism. A toughness. I want to hear and see what network executives don't think I want to.

Another reason I watch is because I love Bill Lucking. When I was a kid we lived in the same small town in SoCal and his daughter and I were friends. I remember when I first met her she told me her dad had been shot in the head. Being a tween at the time I was flabbergasted. It wasn't until much later that I found out he was an actor.

Keep writing your blogs the way your mind and heart agree. I will keep reading.

Thanks for the honesty. I have heard elsewhere in the blogsphere this same fear or rather issue that bloggers have to deal with. I write with a group of Fire / EMS related ppl over at FireEMSBlogs.com and often I know that they have had to curb or rewrite a post b/c of potential issues.

Blogging is the purest form of content and should be left that way. Including the ranting, swearing, miss spelling, inside jokes, and so on.

I think that this is the only way that some ppl can get out their thoughts.

And THAT is the artist and creator I have come to admire! I am the "tweeter" who posted that your "cast, crew and fans are your trophy's". There are fans and then there are SOA fans. Your creation of characters, story lines, blogs from the man himself, are all "REAL" and touch so many. These writings evoke a wide range of emotion from people and that says a lot for today's TV with so much garbage. SOA entertains the mind and spirit. Loyalty, which seems to be becoming extinct in the world, much less the industry, is shared in a way that reminds people of respect and love from the very core of the human experience.

Thank you for your offerings as an artist and for being human. I will be with your show and blog through it all. Much admiration and love for all you do for all of us.

Kurt, You are in a special position to reach many people and have to realize the responsibility that comes with that (as it looks like you have). Theres always going to be people that criticize what you do (famous or not). The first and foremost responsibility is to be true to yourself. Keep on truckin' brother !

Brother, you said a mouthful. If I may, there is one word that describes the situation 'politics'. While it is a word that usually makes me cringe it is also a reality of daily life no matter what walk of life. Hell look at your own show, Jax knows about the killing of Opie's wife but he didn't blab it out because it isn't the best thing for Opie or the club...politics. Like how it is done in Washington sometimes it can be done blunt and to the point and yes sometimes you have to deal with the backlash (shrug). Could you hire someone to be the mouthpiece for the show to be the bright ass kissing promo person that might appeal to some of those critics? Yes, but would it be the best thing for you and or the show, I don't know. You are invested in your creation, you are an artist so yes what is said means more to you than some hired detached spokesperson. Will I always agree with you, No, however one thing I will and that is your right to say it. (oopps lifted that one LOL) Peace Brother

Had me worried there, for a minute, that you were going to give up this blogger-boy thing. Wouldn't blame you if you did. Just remember the 99% of the weasels who are too gutless to sign their own name to their screeds/um/comments.

Don't agree with everything you say. Glad you're there to say it, though. It's entertaining, even when (on rare occasions) a tad wrong or over-the-top (IMO).

Thought the Emmy voters had a good year, all-around, to be honest. But, yes - overlooking Sons, not to mention a whole raft of FX shows (Justified, anyone? It's Always Sunny? Rescue Me?), but, what the hey. There's a LOT of top-shelf drama being done for TV today, and for that we're all grateful. Or should be, anyway.

Kurt, no matter what you say, someone is always going to spin it to make themselves look better than you. I admire the real, raw writing you do. What is sad is that others don't have the balls to say it because people can't handle it or it might make them look bad to the public. Screw them.

Besides, isn't mockery a form of flattery. Jealousy and small-mindedness are abundant in Hollywood and they are pissed because you are getting the spotlight. Screw 'em. Keep doing what you are doing.

dude I really don't get into alot of the if and buts all I know it's a great show and most of all I enjoy watching it with a good friend she and I sit back grab some food and drink and Enjoy. good job Steve Casano

Kurt...You are my hero. Although I have no clue what it is like to be a hit writer/producer, fuck what one bitch critic has to say about the show or its actors. It is genius, plain and SIMPLE, ever growing in popularity. I guess what I want to say in short is own what you are and what you have to say via blog or no blog, because no one will take away what you have created....to me, a masterpiece.

dear kurt Keep up what your doing, last time I checked this was America land of the free not Iran where they tell you what haircuts the government deems as aceptable. for every one critic that is penis hurt by your opion of them your have 100 fans like me who not only love your work but admire the way you conduct yourself. Cant wait for season 3 and your future blogs

Its a shitty ole world when some dog breath bint chooses to attack those close to you in retaliation to somethin you may have blogged, said, written etc...Sayin that I know who's on the bottom of the shit heap in that 'relationship' and it sure as hell aint you darl!

As for awards, yeah the show deserved recognition,it surpasses anythin on TV on both sides of the pond right now, but seriously, who needs those suits with sticks in their asses to say how great it is, fuck, they prolly wouldnt know a great show if it jumped up and bit them on the end of their dicks!

The fans say it all, we love the show, we love the actors and we love you, my philosophy in life, is Fuck 'em, fuck 'em all, if you like you can borrow said philosophy and apply it to those fuckwits who fail to see that YOU are deliverin somethin so special, somethin that has been taken into the hearts of the very people who pay them their fat wedge, so yeah Fuck 'em, Fuck 'em all! :o)

I'm nobody special. I love your show and probably because I ran a business like a dysfunctional family and SOA really resonates for me, for this reason. Otherwise I'm just another mom in a sea of moms; the least likely biker fan you'd ever expect.

However, I really feel your pain in this post. On a far more miniscule level, I went through something similar with my business - and of course I blogged about it. I'm a diarist, have been for ten years. I can't stop.

Once, when weathering the professional blowback from my outspoken blog, a friend said to me, "Congratluations Teri, now you're the Dixie Chicks." Though I don't know you, I still congratulate you, Kurt Sutter: Now you're the Dixie Chicks.

Here is a slice of my struggle, if it helps: http://harriet-m-welsh.livejournal.com/218018.html

I am not a blogger by any means, but I follow what you put here from Facebook. I get what you say because it is how we talk out here in the real world. Maybe what I say here doesn't pertain to any of this and maybe it does. I am not a big fan of the human race, TV, or the media......I believe we don't need to know everything.....and for the most part people need to develope a set of balls and man up and deal with things and let some stuff roll off. SOA is one of the very few shows I look forward to anxiously! Being a "Motorcyle Enthusiast" myself I feel your audience is a loyal type no matter what......and I think that is what helps the shows popularity. I know you live in a world of political correctness now, but personally I feel you have nothing to apologize about. To bad you hurt someones feelings .......(reference the balls comment). Don't change a thing about the show, and keep your passion......I find it is what keeps us who we are......don't let them beat you down.

Speaking as an average joe, I love your show and I love your blog and to be honest when I watch and read either, the thoughts and opinions of critics never enter my mind. My only thought on the matter is that if THEY could do it they would be instead of bitching for a living.

Fuck a critic; I work all day and when I get home, For the 44 minutes of an SOA episode I am totally immersed in THAT world, not this one.

I'm not interested in TV as a business but I do enjoy reading about the process involved in creating a great show that your blog often describes.

So man, advice from a fan; just keep up the great work and concentrate on the show.

This is for you, so don't re-post unless unless you think it relevant for everyone else. You tasted a bit of a Native storyline with the bullets. As a skin I was very happy to see that, some might not have been because it wasn't a "positive" light, but hey there is not a positive without a negative. In fact the militant Native factions scared the US government more than even the Black Panthers so not only is it real but it is a bigger story than what you sampled...I hope that after this season you can explore it a little more..If you want a good book to read check out 'One Nation Under the Gun'. Peace Brother.

With the end of Lost, it (theoretically) opens more windows for the SOA cast to garner the attention they deserve. The cast as a whole is stellar, with certain members transcending the sum of the cast. Katey as Gemma is ....well Breathtaking I suppose. It's as good a description as any. Her work all season was superb. I thought Ryan and Kim were terrific with the scene where the truth was confessed. All in all, I loved the season as much as the first. Keep up the good work and critics are critics because they can't do what you do.

As the only advice my mother gave me that was worth half a shit went...

"Just tell the truth and you'll never get in trouble"

She was right. I don't have many friends these days and most people would describe me as an asshole I suppose.

However, no one can call me a liar.

Period.

And that is the one thing I've always responded to about your work... Its' brutal honesty.

It was the reason I was pissed about Katey's snub last week. She left it all out there last season. It was the most emotionally naked and powerful performance I've seen turned in by any female actor in a very long time. Perhaps ever.

Your response was honest and your cast should be supporting you 100% in that. In the end, no one cares about the critics and their opinions anyway. The ratings for SOA prove that the people LOVE your and their work. And if the people love them they will forever work in Hollywood.

And not one of them would have been better off in their careers for having not worked with you.

They knew who you were before they signed up. As long as you keep it honest I don't think they'll complain all that much.

It looks like you've stumbled onto something here: It's really okay to be an asshole so long as you're responsible about it and don't put the people you care about at risk with your assholery. It took this post(I read nearly all of them the day they go online) to make me realize that I'm guilty of similar shit. Frankly, I find it a comfort to know that there is someone out there in the world fucked up in nearly the exact same way I am. Thanks, Kurt.

Collateral damage is far more regrettable when we know the fallen or have connection to the property lost. The thin skin of a critic is easily pricked often resulting in a volley from their own cannons, or even worse, silence.

Hey Kurt,what everything comes down to IMO is quality. It sent Robert M. Perzig over the edge and it's something I personally strive for despite the restrictions placed by the wider world to get in the way (that'll do, it's okay, we need it now etc etc...).

I get the feeling from your blogs that it matters to you too and fucking rightly so, it's what makes SOA what it is. Quality speaks for itself just like it's sisters Truth and Honesty, regardless of spin, politics and bullshit. I'd walk past miles of chrome-plated chequebook customs on broken glass to look at a Shovelhead with 100k on the clock. You know what I'm sayin' dude, keep on keeping it real ;D

HEY KURT,ABOUT YOUR BLOGS....YOUR NOT TWISTING ANYONES ARM TO SIT HERE AND READ THEM...YOUR OPOSERS ARE WILLING GOING TO THE SCREEN AND SEARCHING THEM OUT JUST LIKE THE REST OF US....IF THEY ARE OFFENDED... THEN ...DONT READ THTE FUKKING BLOGS.PRETTY SIMPLE.AND JUST SO YOU KNOW...YOU DO HAVE FRIENDS... MILLIONS OF US... FRIENDS/FANS/PLEASANT STALKERS...ETC...WE LOVE YOU KURT!!!!ROCK ON!!~HOOVER~

When I first saw your tweet 'I've done some thinking" with a link to your blog, I feared the worst. That you were gonna say thanks for the support, but I'm not blogging anymore.

I shoulda given you more credit. Thank GAWD you didn't allow the word whores (aka wannabes) and rag bloggers out there to win!

It saddens me that you feel responsible for the media rag writers and reviewers give your cast and crew a hard time. Frankly, I doubt your calling the reviewer out had anything to do with it.

I say that becuase there is no doubt in my mind that bloggers, interviewers, etc., enter into a situation/meeting/interview with their own pre-conceived notions of what will happen. Rightly or wrongly, they do it, and the person who is under the microscope gets hurt.

(As an aside, if the reviewer was as far off base as to be in Victory Field instead of Wrigley Field, the reviewer deserved the blasting you gave 'em).

It's unfortunate, also, that SOA has to be drug into comments you might make, such as your reaction to the leech suing you and FX and the Emmy snub reaction. Linking your personal feelings on subjects to the show does get the show publicity, but sometimes, there IS such a thing as too much publicity.

That being said. The wannabes are gonna continue to leech onto you and try to suck you dry. They're a fact of life. They will deliberately take your words and spin them to suit their own needs/wants/desires no matter what.

I'm glad that you're going to keep blogging. I'm sorry you feel it necessary to censor the blog contents. It probably occured to you to make a subscription blog, therefore allowing you to decide who gets access and who doesn't get access to your SOA related rants.

By the same token, we share some similarities in childhood problems, which makes us kindred souls. We create. That gives us another similarity. I don't claim to know everything there is to konw about you.

But, I respect you. Maybe if we ever shared a cup of coffee (I can't drink alcohol anymore), I might come out of it thinking 'Jaysus, what am asshole', and you might feel likewise.

Kurt, you are a writer. It is how (or at least part of) you work out your shit. Sending all of it out into the great void that is the net can be therapeutic. With out the passion that you have and the many directions that it seems to travel you would not be able to create the amazing art that you do. I love SOA and I find it hard to believe that anyone who has ever watched the show would expect you to be a quiet, unassuming, doormat. Keep doing what you do...that's why we're all fans :) - Kate DeAngelo (Stroudsburg, PA)

i have commented quit a few timesi laugh at the people who have a opinion of your work and the actors executing your words and actions.They have this criteria that all tv,cinema and print is ALL supposed to life changing.It is entertainment it is thing we do for a short time to forget about our shit.Is SOA changing peoples lives,no,but it gets us out of daily shit for a little while.I watch films, tv or read for that very reason.I ahve my own drama I have my own predicaments and my victories.i love your show because there is a part of my life in it.for those of you who have a problem with Kurts rants or raves about things that are important to him,fuck you.If your are offended by his opinions,fuck you. I am very sick of truth being unpopular and if people dont like being told their opinoin sucks then they should not give it.i count on the your blogs from the heart and that fucking angry writer place.i am a Chef by trade so I undertand the recognition thing but the best recognition I can get is a full diningroom most nights.Fuck the critics and the academy I would rather be popular with the people that watch because ratings keep you on the air not some faceless pussy in an office picking shit they like.

Only self proclaimed artists care about critics and what they have to say. I have never relied on someone else to tell me what's good or not, in making my decision to watch a movie/TV show. Anyone who does is a mindless sheep so who gives a shit what they think?

Being a critic is the height of arrogance. They don't have the talent to create something themselves so they critique others that do. You don't like what someone else is doing? Go do it better yourself, or shut the fuck up.

No,I don't know you (obviously) but I love your work. Your blog also has been a source of enjoyment for me on quite a few occasions. In particular, the brutal honesty and your inability to hold back. Your rants sometimes expose what many outside of the industry do not get to see or experience. So, thank you for that. "atta boy". There is a price to be paid for telling the truth and even if you think you're more than willing to pay...some consequences are unforeseen. That's the great thing about being a human being...you can and will fuck up, now and then. The world has been flattened by the Internet and there is no such thing as privacy or a safe outlet anymore. As the song goes, the times they are a changin'. That being said, whatever direction you chose to take...I hope you keep blogging. (Hey, it's cheaper than pills and a shrink.)

Hey Kurt,I didnt really care what you wrote this time as long as you came back to write!! I was somewhat concerned that you wouldnt!! Theres nothing on earth like being a parent- total exhileration, desperate emotion and unrelentless love - and at some point your kids realise that and it comes back to you tenfold, even when they hate you! But you created a show, a lifeform that wont ever love you back but comes with all the feedback of others that could/would do a better job than you! It hangs with the cool kids, has the best ensemble and looks better than anything else so in the playground its either hated or envied! And its always going to be your fault because you're the one thats raising it! If you wrote beautiful soapy blogs about flowers, they'd call your show soft with no real substance. As for the parents that pick on your other kiddies outside of school, as long as they know that your motivated to speak for them and not against them, their untouchable! Fuck the other parents, fuck the awards snub and fuck sensoring the way you speak! love ya work!!!

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy you are going to continue your blog.I enjoy the exchange of thoughts and encouragement. You have millions who tune in to watch your fine work. Can't wait for season 3. You have an excellent cast and crew. I thank you for allowing us the fans to take this ride with you.

Well, THAT was the most interesting headline I've seen all day. Love the show, love your blog, love you (because I don't know you). Anyone who can come up with so much more imaginative cussing than I can, gets my instant respect. Seriously, best wishes for all your continued success. You and your cast deserve it.

An incredible process of introspection and the judgmental society we live in. Don't they have anything better than to rape your mind?

We love your show because of it's close knit family and the your writing genius - so take a load off and let go with a little bit of humility and wisdom. Remain only true to yourself while protecting those who are close to you or part of the show.

Die-hard fans will accept you for you and SOA for it's content and characters.

I am someone for whom mainstream tv makes slightly nauseous. I find the majority of mainstream tv godawful, lazy and aimed at the lowest common denominator. I hate with a passion those responsible for the major blight on the tv landscape aka 'Reality TV'. The most self-involved tedious shit in existence. I enjoy wading through all the garbage to find that diamond in the rough that I can completely immerse myself in. For me SOA is that diamond. I love the writing, the characters, the story, the production. When I find something I love I am voracious in searching out info on the creators, writers and actors. This usually leads me to their previous work and it opens up this whole other world that I never knew about. I have to admit I like the fact that your show is slightly off the beaten track. You aren't tainted by the mainstream. As viewers of your show we are rewarded for fending off the crap most networks throw at us every day.

I have learnt over time that there are 2 types of critics. One type are true fans and devotees of the the whole process. From the creation through every stage to the finished product. I respect these reviewers for their considered opinions. They give an honest and thoughtful view of what they saw. It doesn't mean I base my decision of whether to watch something or not on their say-so, rather for me it's like my version of water-cooler chat. These critics are few and far between unfortunately.

The other type of critic are basically just gossip columnists. They have no real interest in the art form, they exist solely to vent their own poison. Mean, nasty little fuckers. My world has become so much more pleasant when I removed them from it. I simply ignore their existence. I have no interest in their personal unwarranted attacks, life's too short and they are too boring to be a part of mine.

Thankyou for your show. I have watched and loved both seasons, and am almost finished watching them again. The sign of a great show for me is that I can watch it again and still feel the same things and react the same even when I know what is coming. I still cried just as much the second time around when Gemma made her revelation to Jax and Clay as I did the first time. Your beautiful, talented wife is amazing, and she is actually the reason I tuned in to this show in the first place. I saw a small snippet of an episode and she took my breath away she was so good and after seeing that I hunted down the first season and the rest is history!! IMHO she doesn't need an Emmy nom next to her name to be considered one of the best female actors working in tv drama today.

Keep on Blogging....I don't always agree but I like the provocative violence of the roving mindscape....reminds me of the 20 paragraph philosophical argument I had with a college kid, of seemingly ambiguous gender, about the politics and injuriousness of using the word 'Tranny'. I told the dude, (who I thought was a female friend of a female friend), "Dude", i said..".I live in San Francisco...And EVERYONE in this town Uses that TermGLBT or otherwise". If a term is universally used...how you going to legislate inflection or intention?

As a member of the Detroit chapter of the I hate everyone except the ones I live with club. Good job man. You've created more than 99% of the people on the planet ever will. Thanks for keeping us peons entertained and giving me and my husband something to talk about. Keep raging do what you need to man because you do it for a lot of us who can't because if we said exactly what was on our minds regarding work or anything else it would seriously fuck our worlds up.

Every now and then we all have to be censored and cautious of what we say. I love that you share your view of the industry with us. It gives me plenty of food for thought. Keep writing because I'm here to read as are others.

Of course they want to take you down, you are challenging their comfort zones. It is a rare person who is strong enough to speak out, take the heat, and keep going. You are opening minds, challenging people to grow, creating change and honesty in this world. Of course those feeling most threatened, will oppose you. No matter how you word it, your intention is clear: Step up!

Your cast is built of very strong character, they will stand with you in the fire. Their work on this show will never be forgotten. Katey is an exceptionally strong woman, and I am guessing she is not afraid of this at all.

"It's not about how hard you can hit. It's about how many times you can GET HIT HARD, and still get back up and keep going". Rocky Marciano

Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire. ~Arnold H. Glasow

It doesn't matter what they are saying, as long as they are talking about you. Keep on changing the world with your fire and spirit, Kurt Sutter!

However, you sir, I pretty much love completely. You've got this amazing ability to take all the shit that I say in my head to myself, and possibly to one or two very close friends, and put it all out there for everyone to hear. I'm pretty sure that you, like me, never once claimed to be a nice person, but a good person, an honest person - yeah. That's real stuff.

I'm just glad that you're not all "praise jesus and the academy for the opportunities," and instead have made them for yourself, being tough as shit and pushing through the challenges that you face. Personally, I think it would suck not to have your blog to turn to, because I appreciate your honesty, and I think you'd be a cool guy to hang out with and just talk to - or watch Zombie movies with (high praise, btw, coming from me).